autodiffusion
|au-to-di-fu-sion|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtoʊdɪˈfjuːʒən/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəʊdɪˈfjuːʒ(ə)n/
diffusion of identical particles
Etymology
'autodiffusion' is formed from the combining form 'auto-' from Greek 'autos' meaning 'self' and 'diffusion' from Latin/French 'diffusio'/'diffusion' ultimately from Latin 'diffundere' where 'dif-' meant 'apart' and 'fundere' meant 'to pour'.
'autodiffusion' arose in modern scientific usage by combining Greek-derived 'auto-' with the Latin/French-derived noun 'diffusion'; the component 'diffusion' itself comes from Latin 'diffundere' via Old French and later scientific French/English usage.
Originally the elements meant something like 'to spread/pour apart by oneself', and over time the compound came to specifically denote the physical process of 'self-diffusion' (diffusion of identical species) in materials science.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the diffusion of atoms or molecules of the same species within a homogeneous material — i.e., diffusion where tracer and host atoms are identical (also called self-diffusion).
Autodiffusion in crystalline solids can be measured using isotope tracer techniques.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/25 04:02